


Games to Play

by maybeaslytherin



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M, a hunger games au but not the one you'd expect, aka stylist!Jaime, braime of course
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24244138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybeaslytherin/pseuds/maybeaslytherin
Summary: Game of Thrones/ Hunger Games crossover in which Brienne of Tarth is reaped for the 68th Hunger Games.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 48
Kudos: 56





	1. Chosen

**Author's Note:**

> Alright... this isn't chapter 2 of my other WIP, In the Wake of Winter. But I am working on it, I just am starting this one too. I hope this is an interesting concept. I have an entire storyline mapped out that works mostly with the Hunger Games trilogy timeline. So, if there is an interest in this story, I have a lot of content for it! I hope you enjoy.

The coast was nearly out of her sight, but even so, Brienne did not feel free. She remembered how it used to feel, surrounded by an endless sea, no one, no Peacekeeper, in sight. Galladon would take her out there when she was little, and they would row to the District’s edge, where a small cave nestled into the cliff. No one usually ventured out that far- there were plenty of fish to catch closer to shore. But the cave… that was her happy place. Galladon would teach her his favorite sea shanties and how to tie new types of knots. But that was before. 

Brienne knew it was foolish to row out to the cave today; it was Reaping Day and she had to go get ready. It was her last year eligible for the Games- one more year and she’d be free of them. Well, as free as she could be. Regardless, she needed to row out here first, as she had for the past 3 years. 

When the water was shallow enough to wade in, Brienne got out and pulled the boat into the cave, so it wasn’t visible. Peacekeepers usually didn’t care if she was there; it was easy enough to find a crab and claim to have gone in there to catch them. But still, she never knew what would happen on Reaping Day. 

She was barely able to stand upright in the cave as a girl. But now she was too tall, even taller than Galladon was- taller than he would’ve been if he had lived past 15. She crouched down into the cave, sitting in the far right corner, facing the wall in which she etched those words. 

IN MEMORY OF GALLADON TARTH, DIED IN THE 64th HUNGER GAMES

Below that she’d drawn a small sun and moon. Before her mother had died, she embroidered a sun and moon onto a handkerchief. Brienne’s father always kept it with him, and over the years it became their family’s symbol for love. 

Brienne traced the carvings with her thumb, then picked up a sharp shell to trace them again, hoping that if she’d done it enough, they’d never be worn away. She’d first etched the words in the hours after Galladon’s canon boomed. She and Selwyn had been sitting in their small living room, hands clutched together, waiting to see if he would take another breath. Brienne didn’t really remember hearing the canon, but she remembered the sounds of her father’s sobs, and how her hands shook as she tried to comfort him. 

Once he’d calmed down, Brienne told him she needed a moment and rushed to their little boat. She didn’t really know where she was going until she was at the cave. After letting herself cry for a while, she found the sharpest shell she could and began scraping those words into the rock. 

Brienne never talked about it with her father, but she did show Finnick once, after Galladon’s Games were over. Finnick was in the grade below her in school, but he’d always shown her a kindness the others didn’t. When the other boys teased her and called her ugly, Finnick stayed by her side. Brienne never understood it; Finnick was beautiful and she was plain. He had no reason to be kind, but yet he was. He would walk with her and Galladon from school each day, even though it was a few minutes out of the way of his own house. 

When she’d shown Finnick the cave, and the memorial she’d made, he’d held her hand and paid his own respects to the boy he’d known. When Finnick was reaped the next year, Brienne was devastated. It was like watching Galladon back in the arena. But Finnick had made it out, and for once the luck was in their favor. Though since then, she never really got to see much of Finnick. It seemed he was in the Capitol more often than not. 

Brienne sighed, and traced the sun and moon one more time before moving the boat back out of the cave. 

When she got back to her house, Brienne found her father waiting anxiously for her, already dressed for the reaping. 

“It’s just one more year, Dad, then I’ll be out.” Brienne tried to console her father, who seemed to be dreading this more than she was. It’s not that she wasn’t afraid; though she hadn’t taken any tesserae, this was still the highest number of times her name was entered. She just tried not to dwell on it- she couldn’t do anything to change the outcome of the reaping. 

Brienne only owned one dress. They never fit her right, and were completely impractical at sea, so she only wore it on the one day of the year she actually needed to. She’d worn this particular, pale blue dress for the past two reapings. She had hit her growth spurt at 15 and was able to keep wearing the same clothes since then. 

Brushing through her hair a few times with her fingers, Brienne smoothed down the thin strands, then pulled it back to tie with a bit of blue rope. Usually the girls in her district wore a ribbon to tie their hair, but Brienne felt clumsy and even less comfortable with a delicate, satiny ribbon in her hair. 

The walk to the District Center was short, but the silence between Brienne and her father seemed endless. Brienne was stuck between wanting to comfort him and not knowing what to say. They parted as Brienne moved for the registration line. “I’ll find you later,” Brienne said, though she couldn’t make any promises. 

As soon as she stood in place, waiting for the reaping to begin, Brienne felt a dull haziness flow over her mind. She couldn’t stand to be completely aware as the escort, Petyr Baelish, introduced the video and then spoke about the honour of representing District 4 in the 68th Hunger Games. Brienne only snapped out of it as Petyr walked to the bowl of girls’ names. 

Petyr dug around the bowl for a short moment, before making a show of lifting out a singular name. He walked back to the podium, “Our female tribute for District 4… Brienne Tarth.” 

The words registered a few seconds later, as the surrounding 18 year olds turned to look at her. Most stayed silent. No one ever forgot the names of the previous tributes from District 4- everyone remembered that Galladon Tarth had been reaped for the 64th Games. 

Brienne walked forward, clenching her fists to stop from shaking. She heard a mocking voice mutter, “Brienne the Beauty.” It came from the public section- the only people who would dare mock her now would be the ones who had no fear of being reaped next, no fear of the odds. She knew it was Ron Connington who had said that. But she continued walking as if she hadn’t heard it, as if that wasn’t what she’d be hearing from the Capitol, who would surely despise her for her looks. 

Petyr led her up the stairs and Brienne tried not to cringe away from him. The man had always bothered her, but more so after he had picked Galladon’s name. And now her’s… 

Looking out over the crowd, Brienne tried to find her father’s face, but there were so many people she didn’t know where to look. She continued searching, barely aware that Petyr had chosen a male tribute until she heard his name called out, “Hyle Hunt.” 

Brienne knew Hyle Hunt. He’d played a joke on her during the school year. He seemed to feel bad about it afterwards, but Brienne supposed none of that mattered anymore. He would be her only tie to home now, until she stepped into the arena; Brienne shook his hand, meeting his eyes for only a second. 

As Petyr concluded the ceremony, Brienne felt a hand on her shoulder; Finnick guided her to the exit, to the room where she would say goodbye to her father. 

“I’m so sorry, Bri.” Finnick said softly. Brienne studied his face, seeing the worry lines that had aged his face past 17 years. 

Brienne shook her head, “I’m fine, I-“ she choked on the words. With a breath, she admitted, “I’m scared, Finnick. For the Games, for my father- I’m the only one he has left.” 

“Hey,” Finnick gathered her in his arms, “Don’t think like that. You’re strong. And though I’ll be with you, I’ll make sure your father is taken care of. And I’ll do what I can to take care of you too.” Brienne looked at him- Finnick would be one of her mentors now. 

“Thank you,” Brienne whispered into his shoulder. A knock at the door had Finnick releasing her. 

“We’ll talk later, okay?” Finnick said as he moved to the door. As he left, Selwyn Tarth entered. 

Brienne automatically rushed into his arms. “I’m sorry,” she cried into his chest; he was the only man she knew who was taller than her.

“Shhh,” Selwyn answered, pushing her away slightly to meet her eyes. He looked as though he was trying to say something, but couldn’t find any words. But Brienne knew, she could always read him like a book. Selwyn Tarth was a strong man, and though he rarely let anyone see how much he kept inside, Brienne could see. She saw how much he struggled loosing Galladon. And she hated to think of him loosing her, too. 

“I-I’ll do my best,” She promised him. A peacekeeper knocked on the door and Brienne gave her father one final hug. After that, Brienne was led to the train, which would lead her to the Capitol, to the Games.


	2. Stylist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne arrives in the Capitol and meets her prep team and stylist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the response to the first chapter! I hope you enjoy this one!

Brienne sat in her room, trying to enjoy the last few hours of peace before they arrived in the Capitol. The train ride was short, only half a day, and the few moments the tributes, mentor, and escort spent together were silent. Once Petyr had started talking about the luxuries of the Capitol, Brienne had excused herself to her room. 

There was a knock, and a moment later Finnick was closing the door behind him. “Hey.” 

“Finnick,” Brienne addressed him. They hadn’t had a private conversation since right after the reaping, and Brienne wasn’t even sure if any conversations would be private for her now; she knew how closely the tributes were watched. 

“I’m sorry about this, Brienne,” Finnick started, shaking his head, “None of this is ever fair, but… this is the first time I’m going to be a mentor to a friend. A friend I don’t want to lose.” Finnick sat down in the chair across from Brienne’s, and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll do everything in my power to help you win, but you have to promise me that you’re going to give it your all, too.” 

Brienne squeezed his hand back, then released it, “Of course I will, I’ll try my best in the arena. What about Hyle?” Though she appreciated Finnick, she knew that he couldn’t be biased towards one of his tributes. 

“There’s a female mentor as well- Ygritte- I asked that she’d work with Hyle privately so I can work with you. But it’s more than the arena. I know…. how people have treated you in the past,” Finnick paused, trying to find his words, “You can’t let that get to you now. Cooperate with your stylist and your prep team, and we’ll figure out a strategy for your interview. I just- I want to make sure they see the side of you that I see.” 

Brienne nodded, understanding. She remembered how Finnick was immediately a fan favorite because of his looks and his charm. She didn’t have that. Galladon had it, somewhat, but it wasn’t enough. She inhaled sharply. “When do I meet them?” 

“Right when we get into the Capitol, so they can prep you for the tribute parade. I think you’ll be with Cersei Lannister, she usually styles the female tribute and her twin brother, Jaime, works with the male. Jaime was my stylist, he’s a nice enough guy, though he doesn't have the best reputation in the Capitol. I’ve never spent time with only Cersei, so I don’t know her very well- when all of us are together, she’s usually either focused on her work or talking to Jaime.” Brienne nodded, taking in the information. 

Finnick continued, “I assume your prep team will be Margaery Tyrell and Sansa Stark.”

“Stark, where do I know that name?” It rang some bell in the back of Brienne's mind. 

Finnick turned for a moment, to check that the door was closed. “Sansa is Ned Stark’s daughter.” 

Brienne’s eyes widened- Ned Stark was the victor of the 43rd games, from District 12. Brienne didn’t know much about him; only what she learned during his memorial a few years back. 

“People in the Capitol found out that Ned was involved in some talks against President Snow. Rumor is that he was speaking of rebellion. That’s why he died.” Finnick’s voice was barely above a whisper, “He had a big family, and the Capitol wanted to keep them all in line, so they brought his daughter Sansa to the Capitol and gave her a job on a prep team. She’s still quite young, only 15.” 

“How do you know all of this, Finnick?” Brienne didn’t think that this was information he knew simply by being a victor. 

Finnick gave a sad smile, “People tell me secrets.” He seemed reluctant to continue, so Brienne dropped it. 

After a few moments of silence, Finnick stood to leave. Before he could open the door, Brienne said, “Thank you, Finnick. Not just for helping me now, but for everything you’ve done for me.” 

Finnick only smiled at her as he opened the door and left. 

… 

Sansa Stark was a quite girl, any hurt or sadness hidden behind a mask as she worked with Margaery on Brienne. Margaery seemed quite kind; she found things about Brienne to compliment as they prepped her for Cersei. 

“Your eyes are simply marvelous,” Margaery cooed as she brushed through Brienne’s hair. Brienne felt a blush stain her cheeks- she was usually skeptical of compliments, but somehow Margaery’s felt genuine. Margaery’s own eyes were an artificial, deep red, matching the cascade of roses that were inked onto her arms. 

While Margaery’s own style wasn’t as extreme as some in the Capitol Brienne had seen, Sansa had retained much of the look of District 12; she wore no makeup, except for a red lip, and her dress was quite understated. 

After what seemed like hours, the two had stepped back from Brienne. Margaery sighed, “Well, we’ll leave you to it, Cersei should be in shortly.” 

“Thank you,” Brienne said. It took Sansa by surprise, and she turned to meet Brienne’s eyes. She smiled softly and waved goodbye. 

Brienne was alone for only moments before a woman walked in. She wore a form fitting red dress with heels to match that must have been 5 inches tall. Her hair was a golden halo around her perfect features, curling down to her waist. The woman had been looking down at a clipboard when she walked in and only acknowledged Brienne after a few minutes of reading, her red nails tapping against the board. 

“You must be-“ Cersei began as she looked up to Brienne. Her eyebrows raised as she let out a scoff, “I should’ve watched the damn Reaping.” Cersei shook her head, her curls tossing with the movement. She smiled condescendingly, “Just a moment,” and walked back out of the room. 

Confused, Brienne stood, the tile floor cold against her bare feet. She inched closer to the door, listening for the voices outside on the other side. 

“I will not work with her,” Cersei’s voice rang out, “She’s a beast.” 

“What makes you think I’ll do any better with her?” A male voice responded. 

“That’s no matter to me, brother. I'll take my chances with the boy.” Heels clicked down the hall, the sound fading. 

Brienne stepped back, nearly jumping back up onto the table as a man came in. His features were near identical to the woman’s, but his eyes were warmer, and his hair only brushed his shoulders. 

He met Brienne's eyes immediately, then looked her up and down. Shrugging, he closed the door. Brienne supposed that was a better reaction. 

“I’m Jaime,” he reached out to shake her hand, “Sorry about the confusion, there was a mix up and Cersei and I ended up in the wrong rooms.” 

Brienne barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes, “You don’t have to lie. I heard Cersei.” When Jaime didn’t answer, Brienne continued, “Look I know I’m not much to work with, but I’ll do whatever you think is best.” 

Jaime’s eyebrows shot up, surprised by her honesty, “Let’s get started then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go- Jaime's introduction! We'll be getting more of their first interaction in the next chapter.   
> As a side note, I originally planned for Mags to be the female mentor, but I thought it would make more sense if it were another younger mentor, and I thought it might be a fitting place for Ygritte. Also, Sansa's story will be somewhat of a minor plot line for this fic.   
> I hope you all are doing well and staying safe!


	3. Chariot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne prepares for the tribute parade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry this chapter is out a little later than I wanted it to be- I read the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (the new Hunger Games prequel) and lets just say it was a WILD ride. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Jaime surveyed her for a long moment before speaking again, “Usually we drape the tributes in netting and seaweed for the parade, but I don’t think that would quite… work to your advantage.” His lips curled as if he was fighting off a smile, “Also, I don’t think we’d have enough of the netting for you- your quite a tall woman.” Brienne couldn’t tell if that last bit was an insult or not. 

Brienne waited for Jaime to speak again, fidgeting as his eyes roved her body. After a moment, he met her gaze. 

“Your eyes,” he said, nodding, as if that was the answer. 

“My eyes?” 

Jaime grinned, writing something down in his notes, “They’re the most appealing thing about you. You could almost say they are an ocean blue- so we play that up. Dress you in shades of blue, as if you were the sea itself.” 

“Don’t the tributes usually get the same type of clothing? Will Hyle get the same?” 

Jaime shook his head, “They don’t always match. Frankly I could care less what Cersei does with him.” There was a trace of bitterness in his voice, and Brienne wondered if the twin stylists got along, though she didn’t dare ask. She didn’t want to get on Jaime’s bad side, too. 

Jaime took her measurements in silence, only muttering to himself every so often as he planned the design. Finally, he said, “Alright, that’s about all I need. You’ll be heading to your rooms for now and once I have your garment finished, the prep team will meet you and help you get ready. Then I’ll be there to do the finishing touches before you get in the chariot.” 

As Jaime went to leave the room so Brienne could change back into her own clothes, Brienne stopped him, “Jaime.” He turned to look back at her. “Thank you, for helping me, for going with a more difficult route so it might make me look better for sponsors.” She grinned, “I couldn’t image wearing something like what Finnick wore a few years back.” 

“Don’t thank me yet, Brienne,” Jaime answered, and Brienne realized it was the first time he had said her name. “Capitol citizens are… finicky people, hard to please. But I’ll try my best.” With another dazzling grin he left the room. 

…

After a few hours of quiet, Brienne was greeted by Margaery and Sansa at her door. Somehow Margaery seemed even bubblier than before as she waltzed into the room to set up. 

She looked at Brienne, and raised an eyebrow, “So you snagged the Kingslayer as your stylist, huh? How did that happen?” 

“Kingslayer?” Brienne echoed, not having heard the nickname before.

When Margaery didn’t answer, Sansa chimed in, “That’s what most of the Capitol calls him.” 

“Why?” Brienne wanted to know more- the name was so at odds with the man she met. 

“Before he became a stylist, he was interning as a Gamemaker. The head Gamemaker at the time was Aerys King. No one really knows what exactly happened, but during the last day of the Games that year, the two got into a fight and Jaime nearly killed Aerys. Messed him up so badly they had to replace him as Head Gamemaker for the next year’s Games. Ruined King’s career.” Sansa explained in a hushed voice. 

Margaery batted a hand in the air, “It’s not as bad as it sounds, but regardless, Jaime got kicked out of the intern program and instead turned his attention towards fashion, like his twin. All the better for us, though; he’s quite a genius- I mean, look what he made for you.”

Of all the things she imagined, Brienne certainly hadn’t expected the garment Margaery held up to her. It was an azure blue, high-necked jumpsuit with long sleeves. Not only was the color a perfect match to her eyes, but the texture of the dress was… near indescribable. It was made of a metal-like material that shifted tones in the light. The thin metal pieces of the dress were arranged moving down the bodice in waving, ocean-like patterns. 

It took a few minutes to get into the jumpsuit, and then a little bit longer for adjustments, though Jaime had made the dress nearly perfect for her form. 

Sansa added extensions to Brienne’s hair, then braided it back into an intricate updo, which was then covered by a thin net of the same material and color as the dress. As a finishing touch, Margaery had done a simple makeup look on Brienne, but then accented her eyes with a sparkling gold shadow, and thin blue lines extending out from the corner of her eyes. 

When Brienne arrived at the Chariot, she spotted Hyle. He wore an outfit so similar to the one Galladon had worn that Brienne was taken aback for a moment. At his waist was a wrap of sorts, made of a pale woven rope. Around his neck was a string of blue coral fragments, along with a fishing hook on a necklace of wire. His hair was slicked back with gel, to look like he was fresh out of the water. Cersei had embellished the look with bands of seaweed crawling up his arms. Hyle looked less like himself than Brienne had ever seen him, though she supposed the same could be said for her. 

She looked over to see Finnick and Ygritte. Where Finnick’s eyes raised in shock at her appearance, Ygritte simply gave an approving nod. Brienne looked for the stylists, but she hadn’t seen them yet. 

“You look good,” Hyle said as she approached their chariot. 

“Thanks,” Brienne responded. They hadn’t spoken much to each other since the reaping, only when the others were around and prompted questions. “So do you.” 

Finnick and Ygritte came up to them then, explaining how the parade would proceed, how they should smile and wave at the Capitol citizens. 

Brienne nodded, only half listening as the twin stylists caught her attention as they walked into the room. Cersei scanned the group, pausing on Brienne, surprised. 

She said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Wow, Jaime. You made the beast look presentable.” 

“Oh, I think she’s more than presentable, sister,” Jaime countered, his eyes on Brienne. He added, cockily, “Don’t ever doubt my abilities.” Brienne’s heart fell a bit at that- he wouldn’t think her acceptable if it wasn’t for his own work. 

When Ygritte and Finnick were done, the stylists came over, Cersei immediately adjusting Hyle’s clothes without so much as a hello. Jaime simply looked at Brienne. 

“You look beautiful.” At the look in his eyes, she almost believed it. 

Brienne responded, trying to keep the bite out of her voice, “Only because of you.” 

“I only found ways to compliment your best features- the rest is all you.” Blushing, Brienne muttered a thank you. 

As the chariot began to move, Brienne’s mind stayed on Jaime. He was a jumble of contradictions; kind and cocky, stylist and Kingslayer. More than that, she wondered why she cared so much- she’d be going into the arena in only a few days, and she knew her odds of coming back out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! So I've been doing some research into fashion and the inspiration for Brienne's jumpsuit is one of Iris Van Herpen's designs. I am definitely taking inspiration from Iris Van Herpen for all of Jaime's designs because I absolutely ADORE her looks and first found out about her through Gwendoline Christie. I will be posting some inspiration pictures on my tumblr (@slytherinoftarth) if you are interested in checking them out! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you all are doing well and staying safe!


	4. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training begins and Brienne meets some of the other tributes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, sorry for the delay. There were a few reasons. One main reason being that I wanted to make space for Black Lives Matter content and not take any focus away from that. Visit: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co for resources, places to donate, petitions to sign. 
> 
> A few other things have been going on personally, but I'm trying to keep everything managed for now. 
> 
> That said, here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! There's a bit less Jaime/Brienne in this one, but more of that will be coming soon!
> 
> **Updated: just made a few adjustments regarding the tributes. Also to make things easier, I'll be putting up a tribute list in the next chapter.

The next day, Brienne awoke with a pit in her stomach. It was the first training day, the first time she would be in close quarters, interacting with the other tributes. 

After the parade, Finnick had Hyle and Brienne watch the reaping highlights to get a better understanding of the others who would be in the arena with them. Together, the 7 of them- tributes, mentors, stylists and escort- watched as names were called, as children became tributes. While Brienne couldn’t remember all 22 of the others right away, a few stuck out. 

The pair from District 1- Robert and Sheen- seemed like fierce competitors. Both were volunteers, as were the pair from District 2- Ramsay and Shae. Despite being smaller in stature than the pair from 1, they seemed somehow more lethal. Ramsay in particular had a scary gleam to his eyes as he volunteered. 

Aside from them, the District 5 female- Melisandre- was strange, but Brienne couldn’t tell what exactly about the girl made Brienne feel uneasy. And the District 7 male-Gregor- was intimidating in size. Even Brienne would be dwarfed by him. 

And then there was the pair from District 12. 

Brienne curled in on herself as she watched the reaping, sickened by the unfairness of it all. While the female tribute- Arya- held herself fierce and unafraid, she couldn’t have been much older than 15- Galladon’s age when he was in the games. And then there was the male tribute- the boy tribute- Podrick. He was so small, so gentle as he approached the stage. It was evident that he tried to keep himself composed, but Brienne saw the tears that shone in his eyes. 

Once the pair shook hands, Brienne all but fled from the room, not wanting to see anymore. She heard Finnick call after her, but she kept moving. It was so much less distant now- she didn’t even want to imagine Podrick in the arena, let alone be there herself to witness it. 

Brienne went straight to her bedroom, but Jaime caught up to her, catching her elbow just as she was about to open the door. His eyes were swimming with emotion- concern, understanding, pain. 

“I-“ Brienne started, but there were no words she wanted to say. 

Jaime seemed to understand, and nodded, “I know.” He brushed a few strands of hair from her face, then brushed her cheek. Brienne wasn’t sure if he merely meant to wipe away tears or if he meant it as a comforting gesture. Either way, Jaime withdrew his hand seconds later, then turned back for the living room, leaving Brienne alone with her thoughts. Thoughts which continued to circle back to Podrick and Arya throughout the night. 

And now she would have to face them, see how truly unprepared they were- and she was- for what they would be facing. 

…

The training center was overwhelmingly large. Even with the next three days to train with the other tributes and privately, Brienne wasn’t sure she would be able to make it through every area of training. 

She started out with Hyle at the knife throwing station. They had agreed at a meeting with the mentors that they wouldn’t spend much, if any time, at stations they were already comfortable with- at least while the other tributes were around. 

Brienne was able to put her strength into throwing the knives, and hit most of the targets, though her accuracy could improve. Hyle, on the other hand, seemed to lack any hand-eye coordination needed for the motions. When he started to get visibly frustrated, Brienne suggested to him, “Maybe go work on the hand-to-hand combat for a little bit. Or on survival skills.” 

Hyle shot a glare at her, but he must have read the concern in her face and simply tossed his knives down, “Yeah, okay. I’ll catch up with you later.” 

After a few more rounds, Brienne wandered over to the survival skills section herself. While she knew the basics of survival, they were mostly tailored to survival at sea, not in the wilderness. 

She began inspecting the various plants laid out in one display, trying to commit the poisonous indicators to memory.

As she examined one, a small voice piped up, “That’s oleander.” 

Brienne looked to her left, then down quite a few inches. Podrick was pointing to the plant in front of her. 

He continued, “You can tell what it is by the leaves- they have a leathery feel and always come in threes. Just one leaf can kill an adult- I mean-“ Podrick hesitated to finish his sentence and acknowledge that it could kill a child, too. When he looked back up at Brienne his eyes were wide and trusting. 

Surprised, Brienne nodded, “Oh- thanks.” When neither moved, and it was clear that Podrick wouldn’t make the first move, Brienne said, “Uh, can I show you how to tie some knots?” 

Podrick perked up at that, smiling widely, “Thank you, ma’am.” 

Brienne paused. Did he think she was a trainer, not a trainee? No, she was obviously a tribute- her shirt had a giant “4” on it. Her heart fell a little in her chest- he was simply a polite young boy. Brienne just shook her head, “I’m no ma’am. Just call me Brienne.” 

“Ok. I’m Pod.” Podrick answered as he led the way over to the rope area. Brienne started by showing him a bowline knot and a clove hitch. Where Brienne had more experience with knots, Podrick learned quickly and compensated lack of practice with his nimble, tiny hands. 

A few times, Brienne caught the glares of some of the other tributes- the pairs from 1 and 2 had clustered together around the targets, taking turns shooting arrows, throwing axes and knives. Occasionally one- most frequently Robert- would look back at her and sneer. Clearly they saw her size as a threat, but devalued her for interacting with the younger tributes. 

Hyle shot her a questioning gaze- he had stationed himself at the climbing station with two other tributes she didn’t recognize- the girl was quite short and had light brown hair while the boy was taller though with the same hair color. There was a large 8 on both of their backs. Finnick had mentioned they might want to try to find allies in the arena, and after observing Hyle and the pair for the better part of the day, Brienne supposed he had found his. Brienne also wondered if she had found her own. 

Would she ally with Pod? What about Arya? Could she protect them? What would be the point? 

Thoughts swirling, Brienne ended the day shooting arrows at targets. While she was new to it, it wasn’t that different from the spears she used for fishing- at least in terms of aim. So she helped Pod with his stance. Arya had accompanied them- she also seemed quite protective of Pod and was initially suspicious of Brienne, though she eased up with the glares as Brienne helped him improve. 

On the way out, Brienne caught up with Hyle to go back to their suite. They started the elevator ride in silence, until Hyle couldn’t seem to handle it. 

“So 12, huh?” He asked, looking at her, “Is that wise, Brienne?” 

Brienne turned towards him angrily, but he seemed genuinely concerned. “What’s it matter to you? Pod’s good with plants and Arya’s strong. Besides, seems like you found your own allies.” 

“Lyanna and Salix” Hyle answered, the names ringing a bell in Brienne’s mind. “And it does matter to me. Brienne, I know you, and as strong as you are you have a weak spot- I just don’t want to see you sacrifice yourself for some kids.” 

Brienne furrowed her brows- sure, she had a big heart, her father always told her that. But would she really sacrifice herself for Podrick or Arya if it came down to it? 

A part of her wanted to say no- the part that wanted to make it home at any cost, to make sure her father was taken care of. 

But another part of her thought of the innocence in Pod’s little eyes. She had lost that innocence long ago, and if it meant that he had a chance at surviving this relatively unscathed, Brienne knew she would give herself up. 

She wondered what this meant- should she cement her alliance with 12 and go into the arena with the intent of a protector instead of a victor? 

That night, she dreamt of eyes- her father’s tired eyes, her brother’s happy ones, Pod’s innocent eyes, and even Jaime’s- whose held a hope that combatted that pull towards self-sacrifice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! As a side note, Brienne hasn't made the connection yet that Arya is Sansa's sister- she was obviously distraught during the District 12 reaping and didn't notice her last name (or her actual age). That will be addressed in the next chapter!!!
> 
> I also want to make sure I'm keeping all of the characters in character- so please feel free to call me out if you think they are ooc. Additionally, let me know if you'd be interested in beta-ing (comment, email me @ maybeaslytherin@gmail.com or message me on tumblr @slytherinoftarth if interested). 
> 
> Also looking forward to adding in some new characters (Sheen and Salix specifically) along with the Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games characters. 
> 
> As another note (and shameless plug haha) I wrote a song about Brienne and Jaime's story from Jaime's POV and it would be super cool if you wanted to check it out. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezDd1zekpO8
> 
> Alright... I think that's all. I'm definitely planning to update more frequently from here on out.


	5. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne contemplates what it means to ally with 12, and makes a discovery about Arya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Updating this story again... finally! I mentioned it in my chapter notes in "take my hand" if you feel like reading through why its been so long since I've updated. But regardless, I'm glad to be back. I hope you enjoy the chapter! 
> 
> *** TW: just as a little disclaimer before we begin, this chapter gets a little darker as Brienne considers what it would mean to go into the games as more of a protector than actually trying to win. So there's some discussion of death. While that's bound to happen with a story centered on The Hunger Games, I just figured I'd put a little note that the chapters probably will end up getting a bit dark naturally.

Brienne sat at the breakfast table, quietly picking at her food while Hyle made easy conversation with Finnick. She barely listened, too distracted with her own thoughts. 

She felt so conflicted after meeting Arya and Podrick- how could she bare even thinking of making it out of the arena if it meant they were to die? And regardless, even if one of them was able to make it out, that meant the other one wouldn’t. Brienne knew herself well enough that she knew Hyle was right- she would be willing to sacrifice herself if it meant a chance for a younger child like Pod or Arya to go home. 

But what did that mean for her family? Could Selwyn live on his own? She knew that he would have had to deal with that eventually, when she moved out of their family house, but this was so much more final. 

And how did she feel about it? Growing up in Panem, knowing that she could be reaped and forced into the Hunger Games, she’d always been very aware of death. More so after Galladon died. She didn’t fear it as much anymore- it was more what happened afterwards, the unknown, that made her wary. But still, she knew that she had made her peace with what might happen in the arena. 

She also knew, however, that the longer she survived, the longer she could protect her allies. So that’s what she would do- defend them until her last breath. 

“- Brienne seems to have chosen hers as well.” Brienne snapped back to reality as Hyle said her name. 

Eyes turned towards her. She met Hyle’s glance, then Finnick’s, then Jaime’s. 

It was Finnick who spoke first, “You chose allies?” 

Brienne cleared her throat and nodded, “Yes, I guess. It just kind of happened.” 

“Who are they?” Jaime asked. His brows furrowed, as if he were searching through his memory for the names and faces of all the tributes. 

“12- Podrick and Arya.” 

Silverware dropped and a hush fell over the room. There was something new in Jaime’s eyes when Brienne looked over at him. Finnick nodded gravely, throwing a glance towards Jaime, and some words were exchanged silently between the two. 

“Ok,” Finnick said, before Brienne could ask what was wrong, “We’ll discuss it later, but for now, keep your plans for your alliance just between us here, okay?” 

Brienne looked questioningly at him, then at Jaime, who nodded to reassure her. She shrugged, “Alright.” 

...

The next day in training, Brienne, Pod, and Arya were taking turns shooting with the bow and arrow. They were mostly silent, only Pod speaking up occasionally to ask Brienne about her life. It was during Pod’s turn that Arya spoke. 

“You’re from 4.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Yes,” Brienne said in somewhat of a question, wondering where this was going. 

Arya looked at her, expecting some reaction, but it never came. Looking around, Arya stepped closer to Brienne. She finally said, very quietly, “Your prep team- Sansa is on it, right?” 

It hit Brienne then- she must not have recognized her at the reaping but this- this was Arya Stark. Sansa’s sister. “Gods.” Brienne breathed out. “Yes, yes, she’s on my prep team.” 

Arya nodded. She looked as if she was swallowing back tears. This was why everyone got so quiet at breakfast, and why they asked her not to mention it to anyone else. 

“Arya, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize-“ Brienne cut herself off as Sheen, the girl from 1 walked past them. She didn’t even glance at Pod and Arya, though she took a moment to sneer at Brienne. 

“Pathetic,” Sheen murmured as she continued on towards the spear throwing. Brienne watched her pick up a spear and barely look before throwing it right into the center of the target. 

Brienne turned back, but she wasn’t able to say anything more, as Melisandre from 5 joined the archery group to practice. 

… 

After training, which brought little more time for Brienne to speak to Arya beyond meaningful looks, Brienne made her way to her room, where she was meeting with Jaime and Finnick to discuss her interview. Though, they didn’t end up speaking much of the interview. 

“I didn’t know that she was Sansa’s sister until today. I should’ve realized, I guess I just didn’t notice her last name when she was reaped.” Brienne said in a rush as soon as they were alone. 

Finnick nodded solemnly, “Unfortunately the Capital seems determined to rid themselves of the Starks- either by killing them or silencing them like they’re doing to Sansa.” 

Brienne looked down at her hands. Jaime was busy altering the dress he was fitting for her, but took a second to squeeze her hand. 

Brienne looked to him, “I just- it’s so unfair.” 

“I know,” Jaime said, with more meaning than she could understand. 

Turning back to Finnick, Brienne asked, “Should I tell Sansa?” 

Finnick sighed, “That’s your choice. But, Brienne. I-“ He paused, trying to find the right words, “Hyle mentioned something to me earlier that worried me. He had a feeling that you were going into this not with the intention of trying to win, but of only trying to protect your allies. And from knowing you, I would believe it- that'd you'd be willing to die to protect someone.” 

Brienne could see in her periphery the look of shock in Jaime’s eyes. She looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. She couldn’t lie to Finnick, though. "Pod, Arya, they’re so young. They deserve a chance to live.” 

“And you don’t?” Jaime whispered. 

Brienne still couldn’t look at him, “With me protecting them, one of them could have a good shot at winning. Sansa and Arya could be reunited. Pod could live the life he deserves to live.” 

“Do you really think the Capital will let Arya survive?” Finnick asked sadly. 

Brienne met his eyes, tears blurring her vision, “I could try to make it happen. And there’s still Pod.” 

Finnick sighed, standing up. He knew Brienne couldn’t be swayed very far. He looked to Jaime, then back to Brienne. “I know I can’t convince you to be anyone but yourself. But you will have to look out for yourself in there, too. What would your family want you to do?” He put a comforting hand on Brienne’s shoulder, then turned to leave, “I’ll see you later to discuss your individual training tomorrow.” 

The door clicked shut, and then there was simply silence, as Jaime continued pinning the dress on Brienne. He tried to catch her eyes a few times, but she continued to avert her gaze. 

Eventually, as Jaime moved to stand in front of her to pin the neckline, Brienne whispered, “Do you think I should talk to Sansa? I mean, there must be a way I could get a message between them, or give them a moment to just see each other, something- anything.” 

Jaime looked to her face and Brienne met his eyes this time. In an equally low voice, he answered, “It would be very difficult- risky. But I think we could pull it off.” 

“You’d do that for them?” 

Jaime nodded, “For them- and for you.” One corner of his lip twitched up in a small smile. He stood back to admire his work. He spoke in a louder voice, “You’ll look beautiful during your interview.” 

“Thank you,” Brienne responded, not just to the compliment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I can't promise regular updates, but I'm hoping to update again much sooner haha.


	6. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne has her individual training, Jaime makes a confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I don't really have much to say about this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it! The next chapter is already half finished so I'm hoping to have it up this week! Happy Halloween! 
> 
> Also, again I want to note that the story is taking a darker turn- as it is focused around the Hunger Games. I just figured I should put this disclaimer here just in case.

The next afternoon, Brienne waited anxiously for her independent assessment by the Gamemakers. She knew what skills to show thanks to Finnick’s advice, but she wasn’t sure if it would be enough- she doubted anyone would sponsor her. But she had to try- for her allies. 

“Brienne Tarth to the Training Center for Individual Assessment” a voice said over the loud speaker. Brienne stood and stepped into the room. 

Over the course of the hour, she focused on a few things. First was rope tying. She demonstrated her use of the skill in a few ways; fashioning a harness of sorts and using it to climb one of their artificial trees then using a Clove Hitch knot to hold herself in place in the tree, going to the medical area and tying an array of suturing knots to sew up a wound on one of the dummies, and then a timber hitch to pull a weight up an incline. She also demonstrated her strength throwing weights and spears, though the spears only just hit their targets on the outer edge. After demonstrating her adequate skills with making a snare, she showed the skill she was most nervous for- sword fighting. 

Throughout training, when she wasn’t busy with Pod and Arya, Brienne found a hidden skill in herself in sword fighting- she was strong enough to work with a standard sword or a long sword, and she found it more graceful than a trident, and was easily able to maneuver it against her opponent. 

A training assistant came out at her request and sparred with her a few rounds, until Brienne had either disarmed or defeated them several times. Once she was done, her hour was up and she left the training center. 

... 

“How’d it go?” Jaime walked over to the couch and sat down next to Brienne. It was another hour before training scores were announced, and they were the only two in the living room. 

Brienne shrugged, “As well as I could have expected I guess. I’m just hoping it was enough- I can’t imagine my interview will make people want to sponsor me.”

“As long as you are wholeheartedly yourself, I’m sure anyone would be happy to sponsor you.” Jaime answered. 

Brienne rolled her eyes, not believing him. She smiled sadly after a moment, and Jaime seemed to take notice. 

“What is it?” 

Brienne shook her head, “Nothing- I just- I was remembering Galladon’s- my brother’s- interview. He was so amiable. And he mentioned home and how he wanted to see me again.” 

Jaime cast his glance down and said in a low voice, “I wasn’t aware that your brother was in the Games.” 

“Oh?” Brienne asked, surprised. She had assumed he either remembered styling him or that Finnick mentioned him. “He must’ve been in the Games before you were a stylist- his were three years ago.” 

“I was an intern that year,” Jaime said, even quieter. 

Brienne felt her heart race, and she began to panic- could Jaime have- 

Jaime looked over his shoulder, cautious of listening ears, then said, “I remember your brother now, and I promise you I had nothing to do with it. I-“ He looked around again. “Come with me.” 

Brienne was still unsure, but she followed Jaime nevertheless. 

He led her up to the rooftop- the wind was loud enough that even she would barely be able to hear him let alone anyone else. 

Jaime turned to face her- he was close to her, the way he was when he altered a dress for her. The wind blew the scent of his cologne towards Brienne- it was some woodsy smell, a combination of cedarwood and bergamot, with maybe a hint of tobacco. 

“You know what the others call me, right?” 

Brienne whispered back to him, “Kingslayer.” 

Jaime flinched slightly at the name, “Do you know why? Jaime asked. 

“Sort of,” Brienne answered honestly- Margaery had only mentioned it the one time. 

He sighed, “I interned under Aerys King the year your brother was in the Games. I had thought that’s what I wanted to do- but working so closely with the tributes- I began to see that they were people.” Jaime looked down, distraught. 

He continued, “Aerys had a clear favorite that year- Viserys Targaryen. When the Games began to drag on past that first week and it was clear that Viserys had some competition, he started planning.” 

“Aerys began by setting fire to the outer perimeter of the arena. I didn’t think anything of it- until he started with the Wildfire.” 

Brienne sucked in a breath- it was the Wildfire- that design of the Capitol- that killed Galladon. She remembered it so clearly- he had been cleaning a wound off in a river when the first ball of green flames shot towards him. He ducked under the water to avoid it, but this fire- it burned through the water. When the smoke cleared, Galladon was barely moving. The cannon came soon after that. 

“When he first mentioned the Wildfire, I tried to talk him out of it- begged him not to use it— it was too destructive- too deadly. It didn’t even give tributes a chance to fight. I-“ Jaime’s eyes watered, “I didn’t know how to stop him. Brienne, I’m so sorry I didn’t stop him from killing Galladon.” 

Brienne could barely speak, she tried to shake her head, tried to say it wasn’t his fault. 

Jaime continued, “About an hour after that, he brought it up again, only this time he had planned to torch 70% of the arena with Wildfire, leaving only Viserys and Elyria- I think he would’ve killed Elyria too, but she was too close to Viserys for him to risk it.” Jaime shook his head, “I couldn’t just let him do it- I already felt guilty about earlier- but this- I realized then that no matter what I did those kids would die, but I couldn’t let them be murdered that way, so that Aerys could chose the victor, chose who deserved to live.” He paused, “As soon as I saw that he was about to make that call, I hit him over the head with one of his wine bottles. They escorted me out after that.” 

There was a few moments of silence after that. Brienne’s heart was pounding, and her thoughts were racing. From the look on Jaime’s face she could tell his were too. After a moment, she took his hand. 

He looked up at her, guilt in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Brienne.” 

Throughout their conversation, Brienne was heartbroken and outraged- but not at Jaime. She could only see the good in him, see that younger version of himself begging Aerys not to use the Wildfire, fighting for her brother’s life even before he knew who would be killed by Aerys’ madness. 

Brienne brought his hand up between them, just over her heart, and held it between her two hands, “You have nothing to be sorry for. You tried to save Galladon. You did save Yara in the end. You stopped a mad Gamemaker.” Yara, the female from District 7 won the Games, after a final, bloody battle with Viserys.

Jaime only stared at Brienne for a moment, “I don’t deserve your thanks. I just- I want to-“ He sighed, “Know that I’ll do everything in my power to help you in that arena.” 

Brienne shook her head, “You saw people worth saving when you stopped Aerys. That’s what I see when I look at Pod and Arya. The Starks… they don’t deserve what’s happening to them. If you want to help me, help Arya. Help Sansa. Keep her safe out here, and I’ll do my best to keep Arya safe in there.”

Jaime hesitated before speaking- he clearly wanted to say something else, but instead he simply said, “Ok. I’ll do everything in my power to protect Sansa.” He got quieter as he continued, “There might be a way to bring them together, if only for a moment. Tomorrow, during the interviews.” He then launched into the details, Brienne listening eagerly. 

…

That night, Ceaser Flickerman announced the scores. After the revelations on the roof, the pair went back to the living room, sitting in silence until the others came in. 

Now, Brienne sat close to Jaime, with Hyle on her other side. Her shoulder was pressed to Jaime’s, and she could feel every breath he took. It almost calmed her nerves. 

Unsurprisingly, the scores started out high. The pair from 1 each got a 9, and from 2, Ramsay scored a 10 and Shae a 9. Soon enough, District 4 was up. 

Hyle scored a 7, and Brienne scored a 9. It seemed that the whole room sighed in relief- they could work with that. But Brienne remained on the edge of her seat. 

Another notable tribute was Gregor Clegane, from 7. He scored a 10. 

After District 11’s scores were announced, Brienne sucked in a breath. Jaime reached a hand over and squeezed hers for just a moment. As he went to remove his hand, though, Brienne kept it clutched in hers, needing something to hold onto while 12 was announced. Arya scored a 6. And Pod- sweet Pod who called her ma’am- scored a 3. 

Brienne sat back on the couch, feeling defeated. She knew that her hopes to get them out of the arena were near impossible. But she had to try to protect them, for as long as she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Jaime's backstory finally revealed. Next chapter will have the interviews and more Jaime and Brienne conversations. Additionally, Cersei will be back in the next chapter. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think of the story so far! With the pacing of the chapters so far, it will definitely be on the longer side, and I just want to make sure people are still interested in the story before committing to it farther (though don't worry, no matter what I'll probably still be continuing on with this story)

**Author's Note:**

> So Jaime will be introduced soon, but I hope you enjoyed the story so far. For context this is the timeline I'm working with, so as not to be too confusing:  
> 64th Games: Galladon was a tribute (age 15)  
> 65th Games: Finnick wins (age 14)  
> 68th Games: Brienne's Games (age 18)
> 
> I hope this makes sense and is a good read. I am currently working on the next chapter for In the Wake of Winter, and right now I'm planning to divide my time between the two WIPs based on interest, though I do plan to update both stories. I'm not sure of a schedule yet- while I have a lot of free time now that I have graduated and am stuck in my apartment 24/7, I am finding motivation fleeting. But these projects give me something to work towards, so even if updates are somewhat inconsistent, I hope you decide to stick with them. 
> 
> That said, I look forward to updating! I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.


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